There were several rounds of showers since Friday here in Hampton Roads. I picked up a little over three quarters of an inch of rain in my backyard. The heaviest rainfall occurred in most areas on Friday afternoon ahead of a cold front. An area of lighter rain moved through early Saturday morning and then more showers/storms developed Saturday afternoon as an upper-level disturbance moved southeastward through the region. This was basically an area of colder air moving overhead with stronger winds aloft. This created an unstable environment causing lift in the atmosphere. Remember, warm air is lighter and more buoyant than cold air so it rises rapidly causing clouds to develop which eventually turned into showers and some thunderstorms. They were fast movers though, so they only caused a temporary interruption to outdoor events on Saturday. Weather will not cause any issues today (Sunday). It will just be a little cooler than normal. The average high temperature for this time of year has risen to 70 degrees. High pressure responsible for the great weather will slowly move offshore the next few days. Our winds will shift around to the south and southwest bringing in warmer air on Monday and Tuesday. Another cold front is expected to approach the region later Tuesday bringing with it a chance of showers/storms. That’s it for now. Have a great day!

You may have heard the term “Omega Block” in meteorology. It is named after the Greek letter. The upper-level wind pattern resembles this letter and what it basically means is that the weather pattern is “stuck” for the most part with very little movement of weather systems at the surface. If you are located in an area influenced by a high pressure ridge (as we are here in Hampton Roads), the weather will be dry and pleasant. If you are in a region influenced by a frontal system or low pressure, you’re going to have rain/storms at times for several days. This blocking pattern will result in our longest dry spell that we’ve had in quite a while. The last rain that we had was on Tuesday, April 12, and it probably won’t rain again until Friday at the earliest. The combination of the strong high pressure area to our north and an area of low pressure well offshore is producing a fetch of strong northeasterly winds over the Atlantic Ocean. This is producing high waves which have prompted the NWS to issue a High Surf Advisory for later today and tomorrow for portions of our coastal waters. If you do plan on going in the water, be mindful of these rough conditions and potential rip currents. Beach erosion is also possible. A backdoor cold front may cross the region on Tuesday or Tuesday night, but it should be a dry frontal passage. The next chance of any wet weather will be on Friday at the earliest. That may get pushed back to the weekend. As far as temperatures go, the northeasterly flow has kept us on the cool side and that will continue through the weekend. We’ll probably warm up a bit on Monday but temperatures should be lower following the back door cold front on Wednesday. So, enjoy the sunny weather and have a great weekend!

An intensifying area of low pressure moving by to our north today (Saturday) will bring us windy conditions and just a small chance of a shower/sprinkle or two later on. As I write this post, the sun is shining and the skies are mostly clear. A Wind Advisory is in effect for Hampton Roads until 10:00 AM Sunday morning. The other big story is the cold. A Freeze Warning is also in effect later on tonight and early tomorrow morning. If you have any sensitive plants that you could bring indoors, you should do so. Temperatures away from the water may drop below freezing Sunday morning. Wind speeds should slowly diminish on Sunday as the low pressure area pulls away from the area. Temperatures will be well below normal, but due to the winds decreasing, Sunday afternoon may turn out to be quite pleasant. On Monday, temperatures should moderate as our winds become more southerly in direction. We may see some showers on Tuesday as another system approaches the area. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Rain is falling as I write this post and it should continue on and off through the first part of today (Saturday). Clearing is expected later on as the frontal system moves offshore. Another front is expected to bring strong winds to the region tonight and Sunday. I would advise securing anything that could become airborne on your property. A Wind Advisory is in effect for tonight and early Sunday. We should be dry for the most part on Sunday with cooler temperatures behind the front. Then, on Monday, we should experience a brief warmup out ahead of another cold front that is expected to really drop temperatures on Tuesday. In many years when we have mild winters, we have these cold air intrusions in early spring. Areas in the Great Lakes and Northeastern States may have accumulating snowfall. In the extended forecast, it appears that we may have more unsettled weather late in the week. That’s it for now. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!